My top three takeaways from Arizona’s 84-60 bounce-back win over Grambling State at McKale Center on Saturday night following the loss at NAU earlier in the week:
Turnovers, the Wildcats’ Achilles heel
Arizona is averaging 19 turnovers a game. On Saturday night, Arizona had 18 in the first half and ended the night with 27.
“I don’t remember that ever in my career,” Arizona coach Adia Barnes said on the 18 first-half turnovers.
Grambling State used a tenacious press to force the Wildcats into playing quicker than they are comfortable with which caused some poor ball handling and passing decisions.
Barnes talked with her team at halftime about adjusting and not playing into the pressure of the press to cut down on turnovers.
“We just made some adjustments in the press,” she said. “Some stuff we know but it takes me like drawing it, talking about it and showing them the light to reinforce that. I think players forget in the stressful times. You may know it but you don’t understand what’s open.
“It also is letting them understand a press wants to speed you up … we can’t get sped up … we have to have composure and run offense.”
Barnes made reference to the team looking like the Bad News Bears in the first half. A chaotic half full of poor shot choices and turnovers. Many who watched the game would probably agree with that assessment.
Despite the high number of turnovers, the Wildcats were able to make the adjustments that Barnes wanted to pull away for a big win.
Freshman Lauryn Swann went Beast Mode in fourth quarter
The freshman out of Queens, N.Y., was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week last week.
In the Wildcats’ loss to NAU, Swann played 21 minutes and scored five points.
It looked like the Grambling State game was going to be another low-scoring outing until Beast Mode Swann showed up in the fourth quarter.
Back-to-back 3-point shots started a 15-point fourth quarter for the freshman. Her athleticism was highlighted when she made a sweet step-through layup that dropped jaws.
Swann ended the game with 17 points, six rebounds and two steals. She was named the “Bang the Drum” Player of the Game.
Your Bang The Drum Player of the Game is..
Freshman Lauryn Swann who had 17 points off the bench in Arizona’s 84-60 win over Grambling State. 15 of those points came in the 4th quarter including back-to-back 3’s.
Bang that drum Lauryn! @AllSportsTucson pic.twitter.com/eTXuf3246P
— Lori Burkhart (@loriburkhart) November 24, 2024
“My teammates were just looking for me, feeding the hot hand and I feel like that’s pretty much it. Just everyone clicking together as a team,” Swann said about her fourth-quarter scoring streak.
With more experience and time on the floor, Swann is going to win many more awards in the Big 12.
Point guard Jada Williams’ return successful
After missing the NUA game due to concussion protocol, sophomore point guard Jada Williams returned to the starting lineup against Grambling State.
Without its floor general, Arizona struggled on offense in the 75-92 loss against the Lumberjacks, the first loss of the season for the Wildcats.
Against Grambling State, Williams helped direct the Wildcats to a bounce-back win contributing 16 points, four rebounds, one assist and four steals.
Arizona, now 6-1, will travel to Palm Springs, Calif., to play Vanderbilt on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. in the Acrisure Holiday Invitational. The Wildcats will then play either former Pac-12 rival Cal or Michigan State on Wednesday at noon or 2:30 p.m.
The Wildcats return to McKale on Dec. 2 for a matchup with Seattle University at 6 p.m.
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